Comic books have always been accused of being rather male-centric, and with good reason. Most of the more famous and popular characters (Superman, Batman, Captain America, Spider-Man) are characterized by their masculine nature and seen as the only properties that can sell. Since the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans have begged for better female representation within the hero lineup, especially after Black Widow, while powerful, comes across as the token female of the Avengers films. And while the introduction of ScarletWitch and Jessica Jones has helped slightly, most of the other heroines, such as Gamora and Wasp, are flat or poor representations of their source material.

Recent news, however, suggests that Marvel films may be working towards treating their female characters with as much respect and care as their male compatriots.

Captain Marvel

We’ve known for a while that a Captain Marvel film is headed our way, but it’s been more or less confirmed that she will also appear in the Infinity Wars movies. While this may seem like a no-brainer, the report suggests that she’ll play a large role in these movies. For one, she’s one of the first characters that comes to mind when asked about the cast, but more importantly, her intergalactic-based powers and origins make her a prime asset that the film will likely utilize to her fullest extent.

Black Widow

Marvel Studios has been rather uncommitted to the idea of a Black Widow solo film, tugging viewers back and forth with unclear reports as to whether or not they are even interested in taking on a project featuring the covert spy. Luckily for us, since the success of Captain America: Civil War, Kevin Feige has confirmed that Marvel Studios is “committed” to making the film a reality. When we’ll see the finished product is unclear, as there are more than enough movies scheduled through 2019 currently — the Inhumans project being put on hold indefinitely — but I can imagine the flick will usher in Phase Four of the MCU.

X-23

Yes, the X-Men is still in the possession of Fox Studios, but it’s still good to hear that the Wolverine films may be taken in a new direction once Hugh Jackman throws in the towel. Bryan Singer, who’s been involved in almost every X-Men film made so far, has recently pitched the introduction of the female clone as the new Wolverine stand-in. It’s still only a pitch, but considering the recent success of Deadpool, Fox probably isn’t shy about integrating more characters into the mythos.

While these aren’t actual completed projects that we can experience for ourselves yet, it’s a few steps in the right direction, and I hope we’ll see more in the near future.